For almost 50 years, the site on Mandeville Lane in Alexandria’s Carlyle area has housed a bland office building. But Adam Peters, head of development at Perseus TDC, promises his company’s project, the Foundry at Carlyle, “will bring a brand new vibrancy” to the neighborhood. “Think of Eataly and Union Market,” he says, when describing what to expect from the food hall that will occupy 12,000 square feet of the ground floor.
Rather than raze the old office building, Perseus is gutting and transforming it into a mixed-use development with 520 apartments above the food hall and a coworking space called ALX Community. Scott Shaw, whose restaurant group owns Alexandria restaurants such as the Majestic and Lena’s Wood-fired Pizza, will operate the food hall, which will include 11 vendors around a central craft-cocktail bar. Though the names of the vendors are not yet finalized, their offerings will include pizza, vegan cuisine, sushi, ramen, and on weekends, brunch fare such as customizable Belgian waffles. The food hall will have indoor and outdoor seating.
The “loft-inspired” apartments will range from studios to two-bedrooms. Peters describes them as “industrial-chic” with a mix of wood and concrete, and an earthy color palette. They’ll have high ceilings and oversized windows. Residents will have access to a rooftop with a pool, heated deck, indoor-outdoor lounge, fireplace, and dining areas. Other amenities include a three-story fitness center, a two-level sports bar/game room, a pet run and spa, and three levels of parking.
Here’s a look at new renderings of the residential areas.
Marisa M. Kashino joined Washingtonian in 2009 and was a senior editor until 2022.
